Switched on Partners

Under the campaign teams of colleagues around the business will be able to work with any local organisations that meet the 'Switched on Communities' criteria (basically, improving access to technology).  However, in the UK we are promoting two organisations in particular that we'd like to focus on. These are the e-Learning Foundation and Lifelites.

The e-Learning Foundation

The e-Learning Foundation is the education charity that helps disadvantaged children get home access to learning technologies for their studies.

The e-Learning Foundation was set up in 2001 to tackle the issue of the 'digital divide' – the fact that over two million disadvantaged children in the United Kingdom did not have access to computers and the internet at home to support their studies. Since then the charity has helped over 100,000 deprived students and their families to get access to a computer and the internet for home use so that they can do their homework online, improve their education and improve their chances in life. This is a great achievement. However, many children are still living in homes without access to a computer for their studies because their parents are too poor to support their children's education. These children still require our help.

For more information see www.e-learningfoundation.com

Lifelites 

Lifelites is the only charity providing a whole package of fully maintained technology to  children in hospices, for use while they take time out with their families. Access to technology enables them to keep in contact with their school and friends, and simply to enjoy themselves away from the constant reality of their illness. Each of the Lifelites projects costs around £6,000 per year to maintain and an average of £18,000 to upgrade every four years.  And all this doesn't cost the hospice a penny.

For more information see www.lifelites.org